Indonesia
Basics Networks Indonesia has these GSM network operators: * Telkomsel * IM3 Ooredoo '''(a.k.a. Indosat) * '''3 (= Tri) * XL Axiata Additionally, there are providers on 4G/LTE only: * Smartfren * Net1 Smartfren is winding down its CDMA network and started 4G/LTE on own frequencies reaching 25 towns by LTE Advanced already. Net1 is a former CDMA provider that has migrated to LTE. It has a limited LTE coverage in South Sulawesi, Ambon, Banten and Bali on 450 MHz (band 31) that is not (yet) compatible to smartphones. Net1 has announced a partnership with Qualcomm to provide dual SIM devices that support their 450 MHz networks, but for now, a special Mifi or router is still needed. Prepaid plans are available, but pricing information is not directly available on their website, other than that a prepaid Mifi starter kit is 499,000 IDR and comes with 5 GB data valid for an unknown period of time. That's why Net1 is not listed here. Bolt! started a LTE network based on TD-LTE in Jakarta and Medan, but was closed down at the end of 2018. Frequencies For the 4 major national providers 2G is on 900 and 1800 MHz, 3G is on 2100 MHz. 4G/LTE has been started on Telkomsel, XL Axiata and IM3 on 900 MHz (band 8 in Jakarta, Bali and other cities and from summer 2015 on all networks on 1800 MHz (band 3) too. Coverage and speed Telkomsel is market leader with the best coverage reaching 98% of Indonesia. XL Axiata and IM3 give good speeds on the main islands, while Tri is only covering some centers of the main islands. So Telkomsel is the right choice for going to remote places, but it has the highest prices. XL Axiata and IM3 offer good alternatives on the main spots like Java, Sumatra, Bali or Lombok at lower prices. While Tri offers very good prices in the limited area where it has coverage. OpenSignal has reported an improvement in Indonesian LTE speeds in 2017, but notes that average downloads of 7.71 Mbps are still low, when compared to some of its neighbours in the region. The last ‘State of LTE’ report for Indonesia concluded that in terms of the availability of 4G networks when accessed via smartphones, all network operators together in Indonesia already provide coverage of about 63%. Registration and availability All SIM cards need to be registered in Indonesia, The old system by entering a ID no. through a SMS shortcode was discontinued at the end of 2015 as it led to many fake IDs. Nowadays you need to show a valid ID document at the point of purchase to an authorized dealer. Stay away from their airports stores especially in Bali airport. They will only sell you huge packages with a steep surcharge there. In town in many stores, you will get a SIM much cheaper, though tourists will aways pay a small surcharge and prices for start-up packages can be higher in tourist places. But the same surcharge of 2-5% for loading credit (called pulsa) on your SIM card in many minimarkets all over the country is paid by locals too as they don't get any refund for the service by the provider. Registration rules tightened in 2018 In 2018 Indonesia’s Ministry of Communications has blocked over 100 million unregistered prepaid SIM cards, after users failed to register their numbers ahead of the 28 February deadline. Connectivity will be restored, if the users in question register their accounts by 1 May. SIM card registration has become a problem for some foreign visitors from 2018. As there are many mini markets all over the country selling SIM cards, most of them are not properly registered and you risk being cut off anytime. Indonesian citizens can register online with their ID and family register number, but foreigners need to go to an official store of the provider showing their passport to get registered. You can still buy a SIM card on the street. This is not illegal and in some cases this seems to be working fine for a short while. However, if your SIM has been suddenly shut off for any reason, you can only re-activate it (and not lose the preloaded credit) by officially registering this SIM in a store of the provider. To be safe, you can skip this gamble and go there right away for SIM purchase. IMEI registration from 18-Apr-2020 In 2019 there was much discussion in the country about IMEI registration to combat tax evasion by illegally importing your device and act against the black market and stolen handsets. In October 2019 a softened version of the law was passed: from April 2020 there will be a database for stolen and illegally imported devices based on their IMEI number. So-called "black market" phones (this includes all phones not taxed in Indonesia) will be blocked using a local SIM card for longer. In fact, it's hard to distinguish illegally imported phones from tourist phones on a local SIM card as long as no grace period is given for the registration and the SIM will be simply blocked to work in the device. As it looks now, from 18-APRIL-2020 all devices using a local SIM card in Indonesia must be registered by their internal IMEI number in a national database (if this is up and running). Tourist phones using international roaming are not affected, but if you use a local SIM, your device may get blocked after 30 days already. There are plans for a special procedure, how tourist can register their device, if they want to use it for longer, but this hasn't been finalized. So we might need to greylist Indonesia in 2020 similar to other countries that have adopted this scheme, depending on how the registration for foreigners really works out in practice. Registration issues in tourist areas (Bali) While registration at airport stores is typically faster, at Indonesian airports still high surcharges for SIM cards and packages are added often increasing the sales price to 4-10 times of the local offer. This rip-off has spread to many resellers and even branded stores like Grapari stores of Telkomsel. Expect to pay at least 100,000 IDR now for the SIM card without data or restricted data like for social media only. More and more reseller stores are able to register foreigners, but still charge a higher premium than anywhere else in Indonesia. Roaming on Asian SIM cards Because of these registration issues and start-up prices, you can think of using roaming on a foreign Asian SIM card, when you stay only for a short time and don't use a lot of data. When you enter Indonesia through another country, there are good roaming options from Thailand (AIS, dtac, TrueMove), Singapore (SingTel, StarHub, M1), Malaysia (digi, Maxis, Celcom, U Mobile) as well as Hong Kong mentioned in their national chapters. Censorship In 2018 Indonesia’s Information and Communications Technology Ministry has implemented a new US$ 14 million internet censorship system to block 'pornography' and other content deemed to be unsuitable by the government. This affects also non-sexual sites like Reddit, Vimeo or Tumblr that are blocked, as well as dating apps and LGBT-contents. Many WiFi providers don't yet support this ban. These blackouts can be easily bypassed by using a VPN. Telkomsel '''(SimPATI, Kartu As, Loop) Telkomsel, the mobile branch of Telkom Indonesia, has a market share of about 40% in Indonesia and is the only operator which is active in all provinces. It caters for around 173 million users in 2017 making it the 6th largest cellular provider in the world. It is 2/3 owned by the state through Telekom Indonesia and 1/3 by SingTel from Singapore. Telkomsel has the best coverage especially on the outer islands, but can be slow on the main places. 4G/LTE has started on 900 and 1800 MHz in Jakarta, Bali, Bandung, Medan, Surabaya, Makassar, Lombok and Manando: 4G Coverage Map. In 2016 they announced that their LTE network is now live in 100 cities in Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Bali and Nusa Tenggara, as well as Papua, thanks to the deployment of more than 4,500 eNode B base transceiver stations (BTS). 4G access is only possible with a 4G-enabled SIM card sold in stores where they have 4G coverage. Telkomsel presided over a mobile network totalling 146,571 base stations in 2017, of which 65.7% are capable of supporting 3G/4G services. For 4G 900 and 1800 MHz (bands 8 and 3) are used and from 2018 additionally 2300 MHz TD-LTE on band 40. Their prepaid SIM cards are called ''SimPATI'', Kartu As or ''Loop'' while their Kartu Halo is postpaid. '''Availability Their 4G SIM cards are available at many stores and outlets at very variable prices. Recommended sales price including registration in an official GraPARI store is: * for'' Kartu As and ''Loop: ''5,000 IDR * for ''SimPATI: 50,000 IDR They come with the same credit pre-loaded valid for 30 days plus 150 MB data for 3 days. For tourists often much higher prices are charged in other places and some vendors especially in Bali e.g. at the airport are reported to charge a multiple of it for an "all inclusive" service of setting it up. These SIM cards are often registered on somebody else. Always ask how much credit (pulsa) is loaded on the card and let them show it displayed. Remember in 2018/9 you only can be sure of not being shut off by properly registering your SIM card. For foreigners this is only possible in an offical store of Telkomsel called GraPARI (store locator) which may involve some waiting. You can still buy your SIM somewhere else, but if it's suspended, you will need to go to GraPARI to save your balance. Kartu As and Loop are most often sold cheaper than SimPATI, but have higher rates for calls and texts and slower data speeds. That's why SimPATI is recommended by most users and are often the only available SIM. For Telkomsel's 4G coverage, be sure to get a 4G-enabled SIM clearly labeled as 4G. Top-ups can be made at the same places all over town where you see their sign. In Indonesia, every outlet charges a small surcharge of 1-3% for a top-up of 10,000, 20,000 or 50,000 IDR. This is usual in the country and no rip-off, as all top-ups don't include a margin for the merchant. You may also top-up your balance through supermarkets and minimarkets. Check balance by *888#. Default data rate Telkomsel has one of the most complicated price structures for data in the world. Therefore only a part of their complex pricing can be shown here. Three different product lines of SIM cards for prepaid are sold: * SimPATI''' '' * '''''Kartu As * Loop (their "youth line") Base rate outside packages is 100 IDR per 20 KB. Now things get really complicated as Telkomsel data rates differ between regions and various places where you buy it. Generally you have two choices of loading data to your SIM: Pulsa''' or '''Flash, the latter is'' ''now also called Packet Internet''. '' Flash '''(Packet Internet) ''Flash'' recently renamed in 'Packet Internet' are usual internet packages that are taken from your pre-loaded account balance in IDR. Again, these packages differ according to region. You can activate a package by dialing *363# after you have loaded enough rupiahs. The two major lines SimPATI and Kartu AS can differ slightly in packages. For their regional pricing Telkomsel divides the country into 12 different zones. Sumatra, Java and Bali are the cheapest. The further outlying the islands are, the higher the rate will be. The Maluku Islands and West Papua are the most expensive. Here are the available packages and price ranges depending on the region where the packages are bought, but given out for nationwide use: (*) = Videomax (VM) is Telkomsel's video platform, 4G data can only be used on their 4G/LTE network, night data from midnight to 7am and chat data for WhatsApp and LINE messengers. Prices for Kartu As cards are very similar, but packages can differ and max. speed is slower. Activation is by USSD code *363# or through your personal account online. If you choose option 1 ("opsi 1") your bundle will be once-off, option 2 ("''opsi 2"), ''your bundle will be recurrent. For the exact prices in your region refer to this site (which can be quite buggy). '''Pulsa Pulsa is (data) credit that can be topped up directly in an outlet of the provider. So every rupiah converts directly into a certain amount of MBs. Here only the most usual form of Pulsa is shown that are sold in mini- and supermarkets: all given data is valid nationwide, but it's given out at local prices depending where you top-up. Always add a 2-5% fee for the vendor. It sounds confusing and it is. All Pulsa doesn't auto-renew. It must be loaded again. It can be added to all three product lines Kartu As, Simpati and Loop for the same rate. These Pulsas are sold in markets like 7-Eleven, Food Hall, Alfamart, Alfa MIDI, Indomaret, Circle K, Carrefour, Yogya Mart, Minimart, Yomart, Pepito, Griyamart, Cocomart, POS Indonesia, Maju Bersama, Kredit Plus, Multimart, Pegadaian, Superindo and others: (*) The 4G bonus is only given out where there is 4G coverage. The night bonus is only valid midnight to 7am. Videomax (VM) is Telkomsel's own video streaming platform. The advantage of Flash '''''now called Packet Internet vs. Pulsa'' (loaded credit) is that ''Flash can be activated anytime simply by code *363# as long as you have enough IDR balance in your prepaid account, while for topping-up Pulsa, you need to go to an outlet or minimarket. Packages are valid nationwide, but their price varies according to region where they are bought. Comparing prices you will find out that Pulsa is now more expensive than Flash. Check data balances by *889# More info * APN: telkomsel /or/ internet * Website: http://www.telkomsel.com/ IM3 Ooredoo '''(indosat ooredoo) IM3 Ooredoo, a.k.a. Indosat, has become the 2nd operator in Indonesia with 22% share of the market. It's focusing on triple play and mostly owned by Ooredoo, which rebranded it in 2015. It has a good coverage on the main islands of Java, Bali, Kalimatan, Sulawesi and Sumatra: Indosat coverage map at low prices. 4G/LTE has started in Jakarta, Bandung, Yogyakarta and Bali and is available in about 94 cities at the end of 2016 on 900 (B8) and 1800 MHz (B3) with speeds up to 185 Mbps: 4G coverage map. In 2017 it auctioned further spectrum on 2100 MHz (B1). Their prepaid product line is now called Freedom.' Former Mentari or IM product lines have been faded out. '''Availability' Their Freedom SIM cards are available at many stores and outlets where you see their logo. Offical sales price for the SIM is 2,000 IDR, which are often sold with a small merchant's surcharge at around 7,000 IDR plus the surcharge. It's best to buy them in their branded stores for registration (store locator). Data feature packages Default rate is 5 IDR per KB. IM3 sells a huge array of different packages for its prepaid SIM card with speeds up to 180 Mbps: * Yellow Packs: with 1 GB for 1, 3 or 10 days * Unlimited Packs with a data quota, unlimited social apps, unlimited streaming, a data bonus and roll-over * Freedom Combos with unlimited calls, a data quota, a night quota, a 4G quota, roll-over and unlimited social apps and streaming * Freedom Internet with a data quoto, a night quota, a 4G quota, bonus data and roll-over To all packages "Pulsa Safe" is added. This means that the overuse fee is capped at 10,000 IDR. Their new Yellow Packs are plain simple 1 GB packages with auto-renew: * 1 GB for 1 day: 2,000 IDR - with unlimited on-net calls and texts 3,000 IDR * 1 GB for 3 days: 4,000 IDR - with unlimited on-net calls and texts 5,000 IDR * 1 GB for 10 days: 10,000 IDR - with unlimited on-net calls and texts 15,000 IDR Activation is by *123# or through their app. Activation is through *123# and My im3 app where additional bonus is given. All packages come with roll-over. Main data is on 2G, 3G and 4G/LTE networks, night data valid 1am to 6am, 4G data only on 4G/LTE networks, streaming data for YouTube, Spotify, iFlix, Instagram. All social media apps (see above) are included without quota in the Combo packs. In some regions a regional 4G/LTE data bonus is added. Activation is through *123# or the My im3 app where Freedom Internet receives additional bonus data. More info * APN: indosatgprs * More info in English: http://indosat.com/id/personal '3 (= ''Tri) 3 called Tri in Indonesia by Hutchison Whampoa from Hong Kong is now the 3rd provider with the lowest coverage and the cheapest rates. It has a limited coverage only in some main islands. If you want to travel through the archipelago or to remote places, look elsewhere. Before you buy their SIM, check coverage here for 2G, 3G and 4G/LTE: http://tri.co.id/coverage Up to now 3 has been focusing its efforts on its 3G network rollout, deploying access to the 2,820 sub-districts, 307 municipalities in 25 provinces in Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Java, Bali and Lombok. As of 2015, the cellco had extended its national footprint to 86% of the Indonesian population. In 2015 Tri started 4G/LTE on 1800 MHz (band 3). In 2017 4G/LTE is available in 227 cities in 25 provinces on the islands of Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Java and Bali and Tri auctioned further spectrum on 2100 MHz (band 1): 4G map: http://tri.co.id/4G-LTE '''Availability Their different prepaid SIM cards are available in a some stores (locator) where they have coverage for around 5,000 IDR. It comes with the same credit. Top-ups called Pulsa can be bought from 1000 to 100,000 IDR as vouchers or e-top-ups. Be aware that a few SIMs offer specific benefits to the region it is sold in. For example, the two plans available on the Gorontalo starter pack contain data allowances that are only valid in the area it's sold in. Paket Mix Tri This is Tri's latest prepaid combo product. If you already have a SIM, they can be purchased at most stores that sell top-ups to directly add to your data/voice allowance, or if you don't have one yet you can choose to purchase one of these packages together with a SIM (at Alfamart stores only). Default rate without package is 1.1 IDR per KB. When requesting one of these packages, refer to them by product type and total amount of data. The 1-14 day packages are Mix Small, the same as SIM packages are Mix Kuota++, the data-only 30-day packages are Mix Super, and the data + voice 30-day packages are Mix Combo. For example, the last one in the list would be referred to as the "Mix Combo 38 GB". Elite starter pack The Elite starter pack comes with two packages, both of which come with 3Platinum status, which promises higher network priority, higher priority when contacting customer service and receiving assistance at a store, and 15% off when dining at Mokka Coffee Cabana stores across Indonesia: The plans will auto-renew at the end of every month. If you don't have enough credit, however, you will need to top up 150,000 IDR to renew Elite Gold and 300,000 IDR to renew Elite Platinum. Data feature packages Data is on default is low 1.1 IDR per KB. You can add data credit, called Kuota for different times and values: To activate type *123#, choose Internet and Harian for daily packages and Bularan for monthly packs. Check consumption through their bima+ app. Daily packages end at midnight local time. For WhatsApp they offer a daily pack at 2,000 IDR. Roaming offers Three has some of the best roaming offers for countries out of Indonesia: * Three offers an Asia and Australia roaming pass for Hong Kong, Macau (both on 3), Sri Lanka (Hutch), Singapore (Singtel, Starhub), Malaysia (UCom) Vietnam (Vietnammobile), and Australia (Vodafone) in three sizes: ** 1 GB for 1 day: 45,000 IDR ** 3 GB for 3 days: 120,000 IDR ** 7 GB for 7 days: 210,000 IDR * Three's newest Europe and Australia Pass option covers certain networks and countries in Europe (Three in Ireland, the UK, Italy, Austria, Sweden, and Denmark, Vodafone in the UK, Netherlands, and Greece, Wind in Greece, and KPN in the Netherlands), Australia (Vodafone), New Zealand (Vodafone and Spark), and the United States (AT&T): ** 1 GB for 1 day: 75,000 IDR ** 5 GB for 7 days: 250,000 IDR ** 10 GB for 14 days: 450,000 IDR Activate roaming options using *899#. Make sure data roaming is off before doing so, and make sure to select the correct network manually; usage on a network other than the designated partner or before receiving SMS confirmation of your data roaming package costs 330 IDR per KB. Passes don't auto-renew, but can be activated again through *899#. More info * APN: 3gprs * Website in Indonesian: http://tri.co.id XL Axiata '''(includes former Axis) XL Axiata is the 4th provider in Indonesia. It is owned by Axiata Ltd. and has about a 90% coverage on these islands: Java, Bali and Lombok. Furthermore, it covers cities on Sumatra, Kalimatan, Sulawesi and a very limited coverage on Papua. Where it has 3G, speeds are often faster then Telkomsel. 4G/LTE has started in Jakarta, Medan, Yogyakarta and is spread to other regions like Bali, Lombok, Surabaya and East Kalimatan and Sulawesi on 900 and 1800 MHz: 4G Coverage Map . As at 31 October 2017, XL Axiata says it had more than 20 million 4G subscribers nationwide, using a network comprising 16,000 BTS. At the same date, its total number of ‘on-air’ base stations had reached nearly 100,000, of which more than 44,000 were 3G-equipped. Their SIM cards are available at many stores and outlets where you see their logo. They offer two starter packs, which are often sold with a small merchant's surcharge called Super Ngobrol Baru for 5,000 IDR: including 2 MB 3G or 4G/LTE data. Top-ups can be made at the same places all over town where you see their sign. In Indonesia, the merchands charge a small surcharge of 1-2% for a top-up of 5,000, 10,000, 20,000, 50,000 IDR or more or you buy one of their internet vouchers (see below). Validity is 7 to 360 days depending of the amount. To top-up type *123*# . '''Data feature packages Default data rate differs according to plan and region but is around 50 IDR per MB. They offer different types of packages: * classical data packs called '''''Hotrod * Combo Xtra packages with a 2G/3G/4G allowance and a 4G bonus plus some voice * Super Ngebut packages with a 2G/3G/4G allowance for am hours mostly For 2G, 3G and 4G/LTE data up to 100 Mbps, they have these Hotrod packages available: They can be activated via *123#. Automatic renewal applies automatically at midnight. You can check your quota and active period via *123#. These combo packages called Combo Xtra are sold all valid for 30 days: Activation is by *123#. The 4G bonus comes on top of the regular data allowance. YouTube quota is valid all over the day and zero-rated at night 1am-6am. All packages auto-renew after 30 days. When internet quota has been used up, there will be a display of notification page or you will be charged IDR 1 per KB. Instead of night packages XL Axiata offers "morning" packs called Super Ngebut: Activation is by *123# and AM hours are from midnight to noon, PM hours from noon to midnight. More info * APN: internet * Website partly in English: http://www.xl.co.id/en Smartfren '''(only 4G/LTE) Smartfren by Indonesian PT Smartfren Telecom Tbk is a major player in the country. It had about 13 million customers in 2016. It wasn't listed before as it used CDMA and EVDO rev.2 instead of GSM, but it has now migrated to LTE. In 2016 Smartfren started the most widespread and fastest LTE in the country so far. It employs LTE Advanced that reaches higher speeds through carrier aggregation. But two rare frequencies are used: 850 MHz FDD (Band 5) and 2300 MHz TDD (Band 40). Already 5 million customers have been migrated to LTE. Smartfren's coverage is on the islands of Java and Bali, parts of Sumatra, Sulawesi, Lombok and Kalimantan. It started 4G/LTE in 25 centers so far (coverage map) and reaches 188 cities in 2016. They launched 4G/LTE SIM cards in 2015. Be aware that you don't have any coverage outside of their 4G/LTE. Voice & text require phones supporting VoLTE or installing Smartfren's own app. The app doesn't work well with dual sim card, and doesn't work when you're connected to wifi. Be aware that initial activation will require texting, so even if you don't think you'll want calling/texting, you'll need VoLTE/installing the app for activation. Furthermore, in any case, you need to check if your device covers at least one of their LTE bands. Alternatively, you can think of buying a Mifi router. You can get a basic SIM card for 20,000 IDR with the same credit. '''Availability Their SIM card for 4G/LTE is sold on the street or in their service centers (list). The 4G/LTE product line is called GSM for only 60 IDR, that need to be added by their plans. These starters are offered with a daily allowance or a monthly package: * Smartfren GSM Super 4G unlimited (1 GB/day): 65,000 IDR * Smartfren GSM Super 4G Kuota: ** with 5 GB + 5 GB at night: 30,000 IDR ** with 8 GB + 8 GB at night: 40,000 IDR ** with 15 GB + 15 GB at night: 60,000 IDR ** with 30 GB + 30 GB at night: 100,000 IDR All packages are valid for 30 days, night data from 1am-5am. Top-ups are available from in minimarkets, online and through the MySmartfren app. Data feature packages Default rate is 2 IDR per KB and 4 IDR per KB on Kalimatan and Sulawesi. To refill they offer these reload vouchers: * Super Unlimited: 1 GB per day: 65,000 IDR, throttled beyond limit to 128 kbps for 30 days * Super Kuota: see starters above * Super Data: ** 10,000 IDR: 1.25 GB + 1.75 GB night data + 1 GB for WhatsApp and Line for 7 days ** 30,000 IDR: 4 GB + 4 GB night data + 2 GB for WhatsApp and Line for 14 days ** 60,000 IDR: 8 GB + 8 GB night data + 3 GB for WhatsApp and Line for 30 days More info * APN: smartfren4g * Username and password: smatfren * Website in Indonesian: http://www.smartfren.com 'Bolt! '(only 4G/TD-LTE - closed) Bolt provided services in the greater Jakarta area, Banten Province and Medan, North Sumatra. It stopped selling top-ups already in November 2018, and the government confirmed on 28 December 2018 that its licence would not be extended any further. Bolt has closed down its services, after the government terminated its parent company Internux's permit for the 2.3 GHz band at the end of 2018. Customers will be provided a refund of any unused credit for its mobile broadband services and are migrated to Smartfren.Category:Asia Category:Country Category:Oceania Category:11/18